The very last thing he expects is the inheritance of his famous grandfather’s beach cottage on the sandy shores of Florida where he spent his childhood summers. Emeline Fischer is an aspiring artist trying to make ends meet, working an assortment of odd jobs while painting her dreams on canvas in hopes of landing her own gallery show someday. When she is Thomas’s waitress during her shift at the local beach diner, she immediately recognizes her sensitive childhood friend who promised long ago to protect her from her unstable home life when they were teens. The two friends take a journey into their past through a box of photos left behind at Cap Cottage and rediscover their mutual passion for art - and each other. Thomas doesn’t plan to fall in love with Emmy - but maybe he’s always been in love with her. Can he forgive himself for his past mistakes and start over in the only place that ever felt like home? Or will his guilt and the demands of his cutthroat, big-city career prevent him from following his heart and reuniting with the only woman he ever truly loved?

     Having made a billion dollars by twenty-nine, I decided to retire. Build a boat. Back where life started in my small town on the lake. My days of one-night stands are hopefully behind me. I’m ready to find the girl who has a big heart she’s willing to give away. And I found her, but she’s tainted by her past. Seems life has dealt her a few too many blows, and rich guys aren’t her thing. They aren’t mine either. Ha! Looks like we have something in common. But this girl… she’s the one. I can feel the truth of it coursing through my veins. And if nothing else, the way she looks at me. She wants me. I’ve never been more sure of anything. There may be a million fish in the sea, but I only see one option. Her. Every good girl deserves a bad boy. ~Weston